An affliction that takes hold when a company (usually automotive) becomes too large and believes that they are too big to fail or lose customer base. Goes hand-in-hand with a bloated sense of self-worth, an out-of-touch management and disregard of serious problems and/or customer input.

Stems from the early 1970s when General Motors lost touch with the American consumer. In the belief they could not fall from grace, they continued to produce large, gas-guzzling cars that people didn't want. This allowed Japanese companies like Honda and Toyota to come in and grab a large share of the Baby Boomers.
Person 1: "Did you hear? Toyota is now suffering from the GM Syndrome."

Person 2: "That's a shame. They used to make such great cars."
by westsidesuburbanite February 4, 2010
Get the GM Syndrome mug.